I placed the white rose that Rachel had given me onto the closed coffin in front of me. I silently stood there trying my best not to walk away in fear. It wasn't easy to stand this close to the body that had haunted my dreams hours ago. But I still refused to be weak. This was my sister and I shouldn't be afraid of her. Yes, those images were still fresh in my mind but I wouldn't let it take control of me.
I needed to do this. I needed to say my goodbyes to the sister that cared for me in her own way. The sister who sang lullabies to me when I was a child. The sister who protected me when others didn't. The sister who sacrificed everything to keep me safe even when it seemed like she wasn't. The sister who was no longer on this earth. The sister I needed to say goodbye to...
Blinking away the tears at the edges of my eyes, I slowly ran the tips of my shaking fingers across the closed lid. The polished wood felt smooth against my soft fingers as I looked at the details craved onto it. From the small curves of the designs to the engraved letters of Lizzy's name. There was even a small red silk cloth draped over it with an arrangement of white roses in the middle. It was simple yet elegant. A coffin made for a princess, one that she deserved. After all, it was the least they could after all that she went through before she died.
Taking a long deep breath, I looked at the grey clouds in the sky. The cool wind swept my hair to the side. It was going to rain soon. And just as if the rain had heard my thoughts, I felt the first drop of rain hit my forehead rolling down to cheeks before it was gone.
One drop...
Two drops...
And just like that, it started to pour. But I didn't care. The cool drops of water felt good against my warm skin. I kept my eyes on the clouds as I felt the stares of everyone I continue to stand in the rain. My dress soaked dress clung to my body as my hair stuck to my exposed skin and forehead. But I still didn't care. I felt empty on the inside.
Hearing the voices of the guards I turned around to see them running towards everyone with open umbrellas. I knew it was the right decision to bring them. Turning my gaze away from them I felt my tears mix with the rain as I watched my father keep his distance away from everyone with an umbrella in his hand and that devastated look still plastered on his face. My mother was holding onto Scarlet's shaking form as her cries filled the once silent air. Aunt Mariah and Uncle Damon stood close by, trying to comfort them. Prince Marcus, on the other hand, was silently standing in the rain looking straight at me. His stare was blank but his body was tense. His suit clung to his body and perfectly styled hair fell onto his forehead. He was observing me that much was clear. Turning away from his view I looked for Linda and Rachel. But they weren't there. Which meant that they were already escorted to the cars with Arthur since he wasn't here either.
I could see a guard quickly making his way across the clearing with an open umbrella in his hand. He was jogging towards me with a panicked look as he got closer. But the moment I made eye contact with him I shook my head no. I didn't want or need an umbrella. Once he saw that I didn't want him to bring the umbrella to me, he stopped in tracks. He nervously looked around as if he was unsure what to do. After a minute of him trying to decide, he slumped his shoulders in defeat before bowing and heading back in the direction he came.
Lizzy's coffin was sealed shut so I knew the rain wouldn't have any affected her body. Turning my attention back towards Prince Marcus direction I saw that he was still standing there. He didn't look away or moved an inch. He didn't care that his expensive black suit was soaking wet or that his black dress shoes were covered in dirt that the rain splashed onto it. He stood close by, watching and waiting. He would catch a cold if he didn't leave.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts I focused on what I wanted to say to Lizzy. "Liz, I know for the past few years we weren't as close as when we were children and we often disagreed on a lot of things but I want you to know that I love you. I know it's too late to say that to you now but I still wanted to say it. I also know I never said how much I loved you or how much you meant to me when you here but I knew that you always knew how I felt. That you knew that no matter how much we argued or how much you chose Scarlet over me, that I still cared. We both cared for each other in our special way. But that didn't mean I had to stop saying it. I shouldn't have stopped saying how much I loved my big sister. I shouldn't have... so please forgive me."
I placed my hand over my mouth as I held back a sob. I could no longer tell the difference between my tears and the rain. There was so much I wanted to say. So much I needed to say but I couldn't. I couldn't find the right words to say how sorry I was for always being difficult. For not telling her how much I cared. And that is one of the biggest mistake humans makes. We often forget that not everyone will stay in our lives forever. Some will walk away and others will be taken from us. No one will ever be here forever and we always forget that. We always forget that what we see today may not be here tomorrow.
After all, the life of someone precious is like a flower. It is nurtured and grown until it can blossom into the most beautiful flower in the garden. And when it finally becomes that bright, vibrant and sweet flower it is only a matter of time before someone picks it or it withers away. Because that's how the world is, it always takes away the most beautiful things in life. Keeping that beauty for itself.
"I know you can't hear me but I hope you're at peace now. I don't know what motive someone would have to murder you in cold blood but I promise you I'll find the person responsible for your death and justice for you. The truth behind your death won't be buried with you. I'll find who did this to you if it's the last thing I do. But most of all I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry I made you wait so long before your body could be put to rest. I'm sorry that I didn't know what had happened because I was too caught up in my own problems to focus on what was happening around me. I know none of this was my fault and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening or change it but I'm still sorry." I whispered as I tried to keep the images of her body out of my mind.
"You didn't deserve any of this. You didn't deserve to die like this." My voice cracked at the end as my entire body shook with sobs as I clutched the red cloth in my hand. My legs felt as if they would give out under me at any moment.
I looked to the sky and screamed in frustration as I dropped to my knees in the wet soil and grass below me. I didn't care that I was getting mud on myself or that I was probably the only one still in the pouring rain. I just screamed while hitting the ground. I let all my bottled up feelings out. I cried and screamed at nothing and no one in particular.
By the time I had stopped my assault on the ground, the rain had started to become less and less until it had completely stopped. My throat hurt from all screaming I had done and my eyes felt swollen. My muddy clothes and hair clung to my body as I sat there, staring blankly ahead.
A minute later I heard the splashes of water that had been in small puddles as the guards came back made their presence known. Their faces held sympathy and sadness as they looked at me. At the moment I wasn't sure what they were doing. At least that was until I saw them surrounding Lizzy's coffin. Realisation dawned on me as I tried to stand on my feet and stop them. They were about to take her body to the place they had decided to put her body and I wasn't ready for that. Forgetting everything that had made me scared, I finally got on my feet and held onto one of the guards hand, tugging and screaming at them to leave her alone.
"What are you doing?!" I yelled in panic as they ignored my futile attempts to stop them, lifting the coffin off its stand and starting to walk away. I stumbled on my feet as I tried to run after them. They slippery ground and my shoes made it difficult to reach them.
"Stop! Why aren't you stopping?! Please don't take her away!" I screamed again as I tried to move the hand of one of the guards that I had managed to hold onto. But before I continue my attempts someone had grabbed me by my waist and held me against their hard chest.
"Carry on," I heard Prince Marcus's voice behind me as the guards nodded their heads in understanding. I tilted my head upwards to see Prince Marcus shaking his head no. I didn't like that. I struggled against his hold as I watched them get further and further away.
"Let me go," I begged as he held turned me around in his hold. He tucked my head into the crook of his neck as his chin rested on top of my head. He slowly rubbed is hand my cold arms trying to bring some warmth towards my freezing cold skin.
"Please let me go," I pleaded against his hold but he only continued to run my arm, trying to give some warmth to my body.
"Shh...It's going to be alright Rebekah. You know they're only doing their job. It's time to say goodbye. I know it's hard to do but you're going to be alright." Prince Marcus cooed as I felt the tears I didn't know I still had welled up in my swollen eyes. I didn't care that I was in the arms of the man I was once loved or that he was the man I was afraid to trust again. I didn't care. Instead, I held onto his suit jacket as if my life depended on it.
"You're going to be alright. You need to rest. You've opened the wound on your arm and we need to get it cleaned and bandaged again." he said before he releases his hold on me only to put his hand behind my knees, scooping me up into his strong arms. I had almost forgotten about the injury to my arm because of the numbness in my body and the fact that I had focused on the emotional pain instead of the physical pain. It was something I always did.
Deciding to listen to his comforting words, I placed my head on his shoulder as I cried one last time for the sister I'll never see again...